Musings and Snippets from a recently retired JP. I served for 31 years, mostly in west London. I was Chairman of my Bench for some years, and a member of the National Bench Chairmen's Forum All cases are based on real ones, but anonymised and composited. All opinions are those of one or more individuals. JPs swear to enforce the law of the land, whether or not they approve of it. Nothing on here constitutes legal advice.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

This Doesn't Feel Right

This programme (available on BBC iPlayer for a limited time) tells the worrying story of two British tourists who ran into big legal trouble when they inadvertently passed forged Euro notes, one in Austria and one in Cyprus. One forged note appears to have come from an unwise deal done in the street with a stranger, the other from Thomas Cook. I know next to nothing about foreign jurisdictions, but if it is the case that you can be convicted and imprisoned for passing a forged note without any proof that you knew it to be forged that seems to be contrary to natural justice. I am no lawyer, but I do know that most offences (apart from strict liability ones such as motoring matters) in this country need to have been committed deliberately.Can anyone out there clarify this?

What The Papers Said

40 Bloggers That Really Count (Times)There are 30,000 or so unpaid magistrates across England and Wales. For five years, one of them has anonymously detailed the cut and thrust of the job, providing a grimly funny insight into Britain’s sinful underbelly with the same feel and tone as a Hogarth or Dickens.